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“Mother.”

“Father,” Edmund inserted himself. “Go on,” he urged Alessandra to add to it but she shook her head.

“Our marriage is real. Stop fighting against me, Alessandra. You won’t be able to free your hand so easily. Let’s stay like this a little longer,” said Edgar to Alessandra after she tried pulling her hand away from his.

Alessandra pointed at the knife and fork. “How will I eat? I cannot use a knife and fork with one hand. And you’re squeezing the life out of my hand. Is this your way of remaining calm?” She asked after leaning closer to Edgar.

“No, it’s my way of making you uncomfortable,” Edgar replied. This was his revenge on her for allowing his parents to stay for dinner.

“So Alessandra, how has life as Duchess been for you? Is there anything you find to be good or a hassle? I remember hating having a title and everyone expecting me to act a certain way so when my old friend the king tried giving me more titles I denied them. That’s why I just go by Edmund Collins now,” Edmund started up a conversation with her.

“There hasn’t been a hassle so far. I’ve been home most of the time so I’m not expected to be a certain way here. There is no guest aside from my dressmaker-”

Priscilla interrupted Alessandra before she could finish.”You’re meant to be socializing and building bonds with other young ladies and you have not visited prominent women who deserve respect. What do you know about being a Duchess, I wonder.”

.....

“It should be understood that I do not wish to be doing much socializing right now when I am a newlywed. There’s also the fact that I am observing everyone around me. I have no need to kiss anyone’s ass to be invited into a circle and seeing that I have not received any invitation to visit anyone, I take it that they do not wish to entertain the idea of being my friend. Perhaps outside of those ridiculous rumors, someone has told other ladies not to befriend me.”

Alessandra knew Priscilla was sure to have her friends and their daughters stay far away from her. Alessandra was fine with that as she had no plans to be around others like Priscilla or anyone desperate to make Priscilla like them. Like Erin, Alessandra knew anyone she tried to befriend would be made an outcast.

There was also the fact Alessandra knew no one and how they felt about her so she was not going to pay anyone a visit only to be turned away. She was pretty fine with Sally and Erin so far.

“Are you insinuating that I did it?” Priscilla asked.

“I did not call any names but if there is something you feel guilty about please share it. It’ll paint such a nasty picture if my mother-in-law is going around telling others to avoid me,” Alessandra replied.

“The people here have their own opinions. If no one likes you, that is their business.”

“Own opinions,” Alessandra accidentally snorted as it was the most ridiculous thing she ever heard. “That is far from the truth. Is this the same town that heard I curse people and ran with it for many years? Honestly, you don’t like me because of those rumors. If you were a decent human being you would be more concerned about the fact I was severely hurt in my father’s home when I was a child. I find that you don’t have your own opinion.”

“I certainly do. I hate more than just your face and whatever others say. Your background does not match Edgar’s. Only you benefit from this marriage. There are other young women suited for my son-”

“But he won’t be happy. You’ve introduced him to several women. You even have the audacity to bring one here with you the first time you visit. None of them he had chosen to be with. I question whether your ultimate goal was to make sure Edgar has a family and doesn’t remain alone or if you just want his wife to be someone you can control so that you can then meddle in his life more,” Alessandra argued.

Priscilla took great offense to Alessandra commenting on the things she did as a mother. Alessandra was not around for long to have an opinion. “I do not expect someone who did not have a mother around, was not liked by her stepmother, or might not become a mother to understand the things I do for my son.”

Alessandra squeezed Edgar’s hand when she saw him about to reply to his mother. “Yes, I’ve had a mother who ran away without thinking about me. A stepmother who mistreated me as she liked and I have no idea if I can be a mother until I try. Based on my experience, I can certainly point out a mother with flaws.”

“That’s enough,” Edmund decided it was time for their argument to end.

“Why?” Alessandra didn’t see why he was stopping it now and not when Priscilla was picking at her earlier. “Is it because you expected I’d sit there and take her words?”

“No, but you should respect your elders. She is still your mother-in-law. Priscilla, you should-”

“I can’t do that,” Alessandra spoke up. “Respect is a two-way street. I’ve been respectful since I first met the two of you but I ended up with marks on my shoulder. I’ve been disrespected for a long time and I don’t plan to sit quietly anymore. Not even with my mother-in-law. I don’t plan to pick fights with you out of the blue. That’s not my personality but I will defend myself.”

“How can I be respectful to someone I don’t want here? Edgar, it’s upsetting that you are sitting here and allowing her to talk to me as she pleases in your home. I was not that bad of a parent for you to let someone disrespect me,” Priscilla stated, looking for Edgar to aid her for once.

“I did not see her disrespect you. You have been taking jabs at her. Keep in mind the only reason you are in this house is that she invited you inside. You were meant to be civil but you can’t do that if your life depended on it. Here,” Edgar released Alessandra’s hand and started to cut her meat to make up for prolonging her eating. “If anything, I am the one who is disrespectful to you.”

“I’m glad you have noticed. I have only wanted the best for you. I take my precious time to go through a list of young women and pick out the ones that would be suited for you. I look at their families and how they would benefit you but you have never been thankful. Then you run off and marry her behind our backs. Do you have any idea how this makes me appear to your father’s side of the family?” Priscilla had already begun to receive letters concerning Edgar’s marriage.

Other Collins found it unbelievable that Edgar had settled down. Some thought he was mad to settle for a Baron’s daughter.

“I plan to pay grandmother a visit soon to introduce her to Alessandra. Once they have been introduced and grandmother likes her, all the others will shut up,” said Edgar.

“What makes you so confident my mother will like your wife? I mean no offense with this,” Edmund explained to Alessandra so she wouldn’t think he was talking negatively of her. “My mother is hard to please.”

“She could never hate the wife of her favorite grandchild,” Edgar replied.

“You are her only grandchild.”

“So?” Edgar did not see what that had to do with him being the favorite.

Priscilla abruptly stood up from her seat. After years of constant disrespect from Edmund’s mother, Edgar had not once spoken up to make his grandmother like his mother. He always remained quiet but now, he was going to let Alessandra be accepted? Nothing wounded her more than the way Edgar treated her.

It was Edmund’s fault for not letting Edgar remain in the school would have molded him into a perfect son. Edmund allowed his mother to put this house in Edgar’s name and the butler to be the caretaker.

“I am not going to stay where I have been disrespected. I give up on you son. Ruin your life for all I care. One day you will come to me with regret for never listening. I will no longer find you a suitable woman. Edmund, get the hell up we are leaving,” Priscilla stormed away from the table to go back outside to their carriage.

Edmund remained calm and collected by taking his time to eat his food. He came here to speak with Edgar and he was not leaving just yet. Priscilla could take the carriage and leave for all he cared. He was reaching his limit with her lately

As Edgar poured out water into Alessandra’s cup, he said, “Whatever you have to say to me, do it quickly and then follow your wife. Whatever you have to say, you can say it in front of my wife.”